Blueberry Polenta Upside-Down Cake
Updated May 12, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for greasing pan
- 1⅓cup sugar, divided
- 3cups blueberries
- 2large eggs
- Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- ⅔cup orange juice
- ⅔cup olive oil (not extra virgin) or sunflower oil
- ½cup regular or instant polenta
- 1¼cups all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
327 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 171 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line base and sides of a 9-inch-square cake pan with baking parchment, and grease the parchment. Sprinkle ⅓ cup sugar over base of pan, and cover evenly with blueberries.
- Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup sugar and orange zest. Whisk until pale and thick. Add orange juice and oil, and whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together polenta, flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
- Step 3
Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for about 5 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate, and slowly peel off parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
Why do you stipulate olive oil, not Virgin olive oil for this recipe?
I was determined to use what I had. So I substituted frozen blueberries, butter and grapeseed oil, and whole wheat ffour and corn flour. I cut the formula in half and used a small, round cast iron pan because that's all I had. I also forgot the wax paper, and probably overcooked it given the halved formula. And it still turned out very well. This is a forgiving, hard-to-screw-up formula/recipe.
Cornmeal and frozen blueberries (thawed, slightly drained) worked perfectly for me. Normally I prefer stoneground cornmeal but I tried it both ways, and here, regular/fine-ground cornmeal is better because the stoneground stayed a bit undercooked/crunchy. Not bad but not ideal!
What is the answer to why not use extra virgin olive oil? Asking cause that's the only olive oil I buy.
I want to serve this for gluten-intolerant guests. Any suggestions on what to use in place of flour? More cornmeal?
@Donna D. I am GF and have made many times, it’s a go-too quick dessert for pot-lucks as you can just leave in the dish and turn out when you arrive. I use 3/4 cup polenta/cornmeal (Bobs Red Mill usually) and 1 C GF flour ( I now make my own mix but Bobs Red Mill or King Arthur GF flours are great). I add an extra 1/2 tsp baking powder so 2 1/2 tsp’s. We also prefer things less sweet so personally we like just 3/4 C sugar. I tend to adapt depending on the sweetness of the fruit I’m using. It also works really well with a combo of peaches/blueberries or strawberries/rhubarb We like this with crème fraiche I hope your guests love it!!
Made this multiple times but needed a larger cake for birthday party so multiplied most ingredients by 1.5 and used 9x13 pan. Inverted it but didn’t like the jammy look of the bottom so re-inverted after cooling a bit. Well loved by all. Another Nigella keeper.
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